U.S. TRIED TO RESCUE JAMES FOLEY: U.S. Special Operations forces mounted an unsuccessful mission inside Syria earlier this summer to try to rescue several Americans held by Islamic extremists, includingJames Foley, the journalist who was murdered this week. President Barack Obama ordered the secret operation, the first of its kind by the U.S. inside Syrian territory since the start of the civil war, after the U.S. received intelligence the Americans were being held by the extremist group known as Islamic State at a specific facility in a sparsely populated area inside Syria.

Associated Press

The officials declined to say exactly where and when the operation took place. But its disclosure was just the latest of several signs of a toughening American posture toward the extremist forces of Islamic State, a group Mr. Obama yesterday called a “cancer”on the Middle East. Several dozen Special Operations forces took part in the helicopter-borne operation as drones and fighter aircraft circled overhead, but they didn’t find any of the Americans in the facility and pulled out of the area. Dion Nissenbaum and Adam Entous report. Meanwhile, British and American intelligence agencies are working to identify the man who executedMr. Foley. The possibility of involvement by a British national in Mr. Foley’s death underscores what for many U.K. officials has become their top national security threat: that some of the estimated 400 British Muslims suspected of fighting with jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq could come home radicalized.

HILLARY EMBRACES MIDWESTERN ROOTS:When Hillary Clinton lived in the White House, her home state was Arkansas. Then she was a senator from New York. As secretary of state, she traveled the world and lived in Washington. But now, as she mulls a 2016 presidential bid, Mrs. Clinton is emphasizing her Midwestern roots—a region critical to electoral success and a calling card for any politician trying to craft a no-nonsense image. Elizabeth Williamson reports.

Associated Press

AD BARRAGE TO ESCALATE IN ALASKA SENATE RACE: The pace of political ads that have flooded Alaska’’s airwaves is set to intensify after a candidate backed by Republican leaders, Dan Sullivan, won the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic Sen. Mark Begich. The state has already seen more than 31,000 political ads—less than half of which have been funded by the political parties and candidates. And Mr. Sullivan’s win on Tuesday is fueling GOP hopes of claiming the seat in its effort to win a Senate majority. Reid J. Epstein reports.

A Palestinian policeman reacts as rescue workers search for victims under the rubble of a house, which witnesses said was destroyed in an Israeli air strike, in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday.

Reuters

–Compiled by Rebecca Ballhaus

SEIB VIDEO: OBAMA’S RESPONSE TO KILLING OF JAMES FOLEY
President Barack Obama delivered a somber address Wednesday in response to the gruesome killing of American journalist James Foley by Islamic State militants in Syria. Washington Bureau ChiefJerry Seib explains the three tough challenges for Mr. Obama going forward in targeting and eliminating the group’s threat.

HERE’S A LOOK AT THE DAY AHEAD
–ECONOMIC INDICATORS: Labor Department releases weekly jobless claims, 8:30 a.m. The National Association of Realtors releases existing home sales for July at 10 a.m. The Conference Board releases leading indicators for July at 10 a.m.

There’s now at least one vulnerable Democratic senator up for re-election who is portraying his vote for Obamacare as a positive: Greg Sargent of the Washington Post’s Plum Line reports that Arkansas Sen. David Pryor has just released a TV ad in which he praises the law for preventing people from losing coverage because of illness or a pre-existing medical condition.

In the WSJ’s Think Tank, Robin Wright exploresthe damage the unrest in Ferguson, Mo., is doing to America’s reputation abroad. Most embarrassingly, she writes, “dictators, autocrats and theocrats around the world are lambasting the U.S. for its handling of racial unrest in Missouri.”

TWEET OF THE DAY@DanielPearlFNDN: “Our hearts go out to the family of journalist James Foley. We know the horror they are going through.” -Ruth Pearl #JamesFoley #DanielPearl

FEEDBACK: Welcome to the new Capital Journal Daybreak newsletter, the Journal’s morning rundown of the biggest news stories and exclusive features from Washington on politics, policy, financial regulation, defense and more. Send your tips, feedback and suggestions for recommended reading to editor Kate Milani at kate.milani@wsj.com.

About Washington Wire

Washington Wire is one of the oldest standing features in American journalism. Since the Wire launched on Sept. 20, 1940, the Journal has offered readers an informal look at the capital. Now online, the Wire provides a succession of glimpses at what’s happening behind hot stories and warnings of what to watch for in the days ahead. The Wire is led by Reid J. Epstein, with contributions from the rest of the bureau. Washington Wire now also includes Think Tank, our home for outside analysis from policy and political thinkers.